The Tiger, Hound, and Snake
by Glaciero
Summary: A mysterious girl comes to Konaha: who is she seeking? And why does she find it so difficult to trust anyone? Follow the story of Glaciero as she overcomes the mistakes of her past and uncovers secrets far greater than she could have ever imagined.
1. Opportunity

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The day I had been waiting for had finally come.

Flashback:

I sat in a tree waiting for any robbers that may come past when 2 ninja sporting mist village headbands came walking by. They

only looked about 12 years old and they didn't seem very criminal, so I decided to catch up on my sleep.

"I still can't believe that happened to Konaha!" the first one said kicking a stone along the path.

"Yeah, me neither. How could it have happened so fast, though. Did they disguise a spy or something?" the second one answered.

This conversation wasn't going anywhere, so I closed my eyes.

"Naw, apparently the guy already belonged to the village. I think his name was Kabitan or Kebuti or..." My eyes snapped open.

'Kabuto.'

"Oh, well that would make sense. They knew the layout of the village and everything! Well, that's what I'd expect from the sand

and mist teamed up!" Both of them were there?!? I couldn't take it anymore. I leaped out of the tree and landed in front of the

shorter of the two.

"Hey! What the..."

"What happened in Konaha?" I said, reaching for my sword.

"Uhhhhhh... oh. You haven't heard? The were attacked by the Sand and Sound villages. Orochimaru was there, too! He murdered

the 3rd hokage!"

'Just as I feared.'

"When did this happen?"

"Wh... oh. Um... a couple days ago," he answered, obviously intimidated by the sand village headband and tiger mask I was

wearing.

"You never saw me, ok?" I didn't wait for their reply. I took off towards Konaha through the trees. I used my sharingan and sense

of smell to see if I was being followed. The boys just stood there staring with sweatdrops on their heads.

"She seemed nice," the second one said.

End fashback:

Hate enraged me as memories of the past filled my head. My fists tightened. He wasn't going to get away... not this time.

'Damn, if it's already been a couple of days, he might be gone by now!' I thought as I saw Konaha's gates appear over the trees. I

took off my headband and stuffed it in my backpack. 'Better not be wearing this if they just attacked!' I calmly walked through the

gates and, once past the guards, started into a run. Suddenly I stopped and slowly turned around to face the gate again.

'Hehe, guess those runts weren't lying.' The gate had a giant hole in the left side, as if smashed in by something. I turned back

around to face the village, which was even more disastrous. The whole town was almost in ruins. Windows were broken, roofs

were missing, blood stained rags littered the ground.

You formed a small smirk under your mask. 'Well, well. This is an appropriate home for these filthy Leaf villagers. Wait, no. I have

to do what I came here for... and fast, if my instincts are right.' I ran through the streets looking in shop windows and alleys. He

wasn't anywhere: the ramen shop, graveyard, hospital. Nothing. I began running at top speed then and turned the corner.

**BAM!**

I collided with a black blob as I fell backwards.

"Owwwwww..." I moaned rubbing my head as I sat up. I opened my eyes to see a boy about my age with black hair, dressed in all

black and wrappings on his arms and legs. He then opened his eyes revealing 2 red eyes with two black dots around them.

'Sharingun? Who the hell is this kid?'

When he saw who I was, his shocked expression dissapeared and his eyes began to fade into onyx. My mask was next to his foot

so he picked it up and began studying it. Well, whoever he was he was from Konaha... and he was touching my mask! 'He

shouldn't be treated any different!'

"Watch where you're running, Konaha trash!" I said snatching back my mask and standing up.

"Why don't you?" the boy replied slowly rising and brushing himself off.

"Humph!" I puffed, bumping his shoulder as I ran past.m I didn't have time for this sell-out.

'If he's here, I'll find him!'

Sasuke's POV

'Damn it. What does Itachi want with Naruto?' I ran through town on the roof tops, (or what was left of them.) I had to find him

faster than Itachi, which would be next to impossible if the rumors were true.

'Where does Naruto normally hang out? We've never really hung out, being as he's such a loser.' Not in the ramen shop, training

grounds, or the hospital. 'Maybe in his room...' I could feel my

sharingun activate by itself; probably because I was just so mad. So mad, infact, that I didn't see the purple

blob that soon slammed into me as I turned the corner. I looked up to see a girl around my age with black hair and brown eyes.

She wore cackies with a purple short sleeved shirt. It would've been normal, except that her clothes were ripped in diffrent areas,

like she had been attacked or something. I could tell her shirt

used to be long sleeved, but must've been ripped off roughly, one shorter than the other. Grateful that it wasn't an enemy, I

deactivated my sharingun and looked down. I had knocked off the mask she had been wearing,

which now lay at my feet. I picked it up and turned it around. It was a white tiger with purple streaks and whiskers through it.

'A tiger? Who is she?' Before I could think, she snatched it back, calling me "Konaha trash."

'Please, who does she think she is?'

"Why don't _you?_" I asked standing up and brushing the dirt off my pants.

"Humph!" she said bumping into my shoulder roughly as she put her mask back on and headed the way I had come. I would've

knocked her out right there, but I didn't have the time to fight. I needed to find Naruto. I ran

off in the opposite direction, jumping on a rooftop.

'I'll check his house next.' If what I heard was true, Itachi would be there.

'If he's here, I'll find him!'

Glaciero's POV

'Damn! There's no sign of him! He covered his tracks well.' His room was completely cleaned out and no one's seen him before the

Chuunin exams! I hate it when I'm right' I thought as I made my way

towards the gates of the village. Had I come all this way for nothing? 'NO!' I started running, through the gates and down the dirt

road. I knew that Kabuto must've come this way to get out of the village, so I just had

to keep going till I found him! After about 5 minutes of running I sensed someone ahead of me. I concentrated chakra in my nose

and smelled 2 men up ahead, both walking very slowly. I cut to the left and silently went tree to

tree keeping pace with them. There were 2 men in cloaks with red clouds on them. 'Akatsuki? What are they doing here?' The first

one had blue skin, but the other one...

'Huh? I-it can't be... Itachi Uchiha?' I thought as I recognized him from the wanted posters around the

village. My mouth curled up into a smile. 'Well... this could be useful.' He would know where Orochimaru was. They may have

even been working together if he was coming from this way! I jumped into a branch that was ahead so they would soon pass me. I

had one shot. They started getting closer. I pulled a kunai out as I braced myself. They were traveling extermely slow and in the

open. What was going on? It didn't matter. I would

have to get behind him and demand information on anything he knows about him! I covered my mouth with my hand. Why

couldn't I stop breathing so hard? On the count of three, I'd spring out.

('1') I put my mask on and tightened my headband around my neck.

('2') I gripped the kunai tightly and took a breath. I looked down; there was only _one_ cloaked

figure. My eyes widened as I sensed a force behind me

'What the...' He hit me hard out of the tree as I dropped 3 yards to the ground, landing on my back.

"Hehe, I wondered when the little rat would come out!" a husky voice came as I was on the brink of conciousness. I knew I was in

trouble: there were 2 S-rank criminals behind me and I was out of breath and

looking at the sky through my half shut eyes.

'Gotta stay awake!' I thought snapping out of it.

"What business do you have with us?" Itachi asked calmly as I slowly sat up and slumped against a tree.

'Well, I'm dead anyway, so I might as well give this everything I've got!'

"I wanna know where Kabuto is and you're gonna tell me!" I shouted back now standing. Kisame started chuckling.

"And what makes you think we'll tell you anything, Nowack?" Itachi asked.

'W-what? How does he know... oh crap.' I felt my face. The mask was gone. Looking behind me, I could see it peeking up over

the grass. I sweat-dropped. 'Twice in one day?!? I need to get a better strap for that thing!' I shoved it

into my backpack between Johan's hat and the last of my money, ($1.28,) then turned back to face my opponents.

"Hahaha, so _this_ is the Nowack runt? Yeah, she _does_ look a lot like her stupid brother!" the blue one snickered. I tightened my

fists. No, I had to stay calm. Bad things happened when I lost my temper.

"Just shut up and tell me where he went!" I said through clenched teeth.

"Uh-oh, Itachi. Looks like we're making her mad! Why don't you run home and cry to your daddy? Oh, that's right, he..."

"Shut your **damn mouth**" I screamed taking a kunai in both hands and leaving my bag behind. Charging at full speed, I ran

towards the blue jerk, but as he braced himself, Itachi appeared between us. 

"No, Kisame, we don't have time. We need to find the boy."

"What makes you think _I'll_ stop?" I was fuious now. No one dissrespected my family, especially my brother! I did the hand signs

and said, "Claw cyclone jutsu!" With kunai in each hand, I spun round and round, faster and faster until I was a spinning death

trap. I spun towards Itachi as he effortlessly dodged each attack.

Until... **Squirt** I hit him right in the chest. I smirked.

"Hmmmmm... you feel like telling me now?" I grinned pushing it deeper into him.

**"Aaaaaaaaaaauurrrgh!"** I screamed as something sharp was plunged into the right side of my lower back. The Itachi I was

stabbing slowly dissolved into a puddle of mud.

"You don't interest me at the moment," he said behind me as I slowly turned around. He pulled the knife out quickly and grabbed

me by the throat, slamming my back into a tree. His eyes closed, then reopened slowly revealing two red eyes with a

dimension(sp?) in them. As I looked into them, they seemed to go deeper and deeper until...

I was in a dark room. There was a little black haried girl hiding behind a chair to the side of the room. There were 2 teenage boys

and a large snake in front of me, one boy tied up in a chair as the second one kept punching

him with glowing blue hands. I recognized this. It was "that night" again. I started screaming and screaming, but no noise came

out when my mouth opened. I could see the little girl hiding was shivering and hugging her body,

trying to drown out the noise.

"No! I don't want to relive this again!" I mouthed at the scene before me. 'No! Please stop it!'

"AAAAAAAAAAAUUUGGHH!"

Itachi's POV

After I used the mangeko sharingun on her, she began screaming.

"AAAAAAAAAAAUUUGGHH!" I roughly tossed her into the bush under the tree.

"Geez, what the hell is she seeing?" Kisame asked me as I stared at her blood left scattered on the ground infront of my feet. I

ground it into the dirt to make sure it was hidden.

"I'm making her relive the night her brother died," I answered calmly putting the bloodied kunai away. "With that wound, no one

would find her soon enough. She'll be dead in a few hours." I started to walk away, Kisame close behind.

'I mean, it's not like anyone will miss her...'


	2. Missed opportunity

Glaciero's POV

I awoke in a hospital. I didn't know which one or where I was, but I could tell by the faint scent of blood that's where I had to be. I slowly opened my eyes, then recoiled them when due to the  
overly powered lights shining down on my face. When they adjusted I realized the sound of a heart monitor, most likely mine. I flexed my hand, noticing the 2 tubes in my left arm and one in  
my nose. A young nurse came in holding a tray with needles on it.  
"Oh good! You're up!" she exclaimed happily setting the tray on a table near my bed.  
'Unfortunately.'  
"Yes," was all I said. As she prepared the first shot, obviously for me, I surveyed my surroundings. The walls were a bright white. My belongings from my bag were spilled out on the table on my right. I couldn't blame them for snooping, though. I must've been wearing my sand village headband when the found me. I could've been a spy or something.  
(Poke)  
'Grrrrrrrrr... I hate needles. Serves me right, though. I failed. I...I failed ... everything.'

Kiba's POV

Shino, Hinata, and I were just coming back from a mission in a nearby village. We had been  
hauling firewood all day.  
"Uuuuugh... I can't wait to just get home and sleep!" I yawned as we walked down the dirt road  
leading to the village. Suddenly Akamaru peeked out from my jacket and started sniffing the air.  
"What's wrong with him?" Shino asked as I heightened my senses. I noticed it to.  
"I smell blood... nearby," I answered. I then nodded to Hinata, who activated her Byakugan. As  
she surveyed the forest, her face suddenly became shocked.  
"What? What is it?" Shino asked as she just stared out.  
"Th-there's someone in the bushes... 10 yards from us!" she said pointing forward. We began  
running towards the smell, it getting stronger as we went further.  
"There!" she said pointing to a bush in front of a tree. I rushed over and parted it with my hands,  
revealing a black-haired girl in tattered clothing.  
"I-is she..." I trailed off.  
"No, she's still breathing," Hinata answered as I went to pick her up. As I touched her back, I felt something wet on my hands. I flipped her over gently on my knee, exposing a deep wound in her  
lower back. It almost went completely through her!  
"Stabbed?"  
"I'm not sure, but she's been here at least 5 hours! We need to get her to Konaha immediately,"  
I said studying the backpack leaned against the tree.  
"Kiba," Shino said looking to me, "you're the fastest here. You take her to the hospital we'll report to the new hokage." I nodded, throwing her over my back. Being careful not to be to bumpy, I ran towards the village with Akamaru not far behind.  
"So," I said quietly to myself, "I wonder who _you_ are."

(A couple days later)

I can _finally_ visit that girl in the hospital. Not that I was anxious or anything! I was just... curious. I had been ordered to visit her room everyday until she woke up so that I could ask her some questions. Basic stuff: name, age, native village, business in the village. Hinata was stuck training with Neji, so Shino and I walked up to room 127 by ourselves. I opened the door to see the girl receiving a shot. The nurse looked up to us, ignoring the fact that she was stabbing her  
in the wrong place.  
"AAAAAURGH!" she yelped in pain.  
"Oh! Sorry!" the nurse apologized pulling it out quickly. She looked to us. "Oh you two must be here interrogate her!" The girls eyes narrowed, obviously intimidated by the word "interrogate." Shino nodded as the nurse handed him her chart and left. The girl sank into her bed.  
"Hello, I'm Kiba Inuzuka and this is Shino Aburamay," I politely introduced, "We're here to ask you a couple of..."  
"Wait a second," the girl piped up, "Where am I?"  
"Oh, you're in Konaha, the leaf village. It's a village along the edge of..." I began before getting cut off, yet again.  
"I know where it is!" she said crossing her arms. "What, you don't think I own a map or something?" I raised an eyebrow, then skipped to the next question.  
"So, you gonna tell us your name?" I asked looking at the contents of her bag on the table. There was a black wool hat, a purple and white tiger mask, $1.25, and a sword with a purple handle in its sheath.  
"Humph, why should I tell _you_ anything, Konaha trash?" she said crossing her arms weakly. You could tell she was in pain, but she hid it well.  
"Hey, we saved your life! You could be a little more appreciative!" I said, now pissed off.  
"Pfft, _please. _You should have let me die there!" My expression relaxed by her words, anger replaced by shock.  
"We... what?" She looked up at us.  
"I've failed my only mission in life numerous times. I finally got a chance to get close to it and... now it's gone." She looked down at her covers. "I should be dead right now." There was silence as I tried to decide what to do. Shino looked over her chart.  
"You had a serious wound in your back which barely missed your spine and your arm was fractured in three places," he said as she looked out the window. "Judging by the fact that we couldn't wake you from unconsciousness for such a long period of time and you twisting and grunting in your sleep, Tsunade-sama has concluded that you were exposed to the Mangekyo sharingun. We compared your injuries to another patient who has recently been attacked by it and you match, so don't try and hide the fact that you were attacked by Itachi Uchiha. What did he want with you?" She looked back to us.  
"Humph, I don't owe you 'Kona-homos' any information! I _should've_ died there!" I began reaching for the wool hat, curious of if it might hold a name tag in it, but before I could reach it she snatched it back.  
"Don't touch that!" she yelled hugging it against her chest. I felt a low growl escape from my throat as she continued to shoot me a death glare.  
"You were brought here a week and 2 days ago, I 'm sure you've realized by now," Shino said. She suddenly sat up, her eyes lit up and her expression dropping.  
"I've... I've been... that long?" she asked quietly. It was like she was a completely different person.  
"Yeah. Our new Hokage was able to heal you. We're not sure what happened to you, but we intend to find out," I said. "With your cooperation, of course." She just sat there, staring at her sheets.  
"Kiba, come," Shino commanded as he walked out the room. I shot the mysterious girl a last glance and followed him.  
"What's wrong, dude?" I asked as I shut the door.  
"We should give her a minute to get used to this," he explained sitting down in a chair against the wall. "She'll be more cooperative in a while." I leaned against the door. "If things get more drastic, we'll have to do as the Hokage instructed." I looked up towards him.  
"You mean..." I asked. He nodded his head. I knew what he meant. If she didn't cooperate after awhile, we were ordered to threaten her with jail-time. It seemed cruel and we wouldn't really be able to do anything, but it had to be done, right? We waited about 5 or 6 minutes before I spoke up.  
"I think that's long enough." Shino nodded as he stood up. I knocked lightly on the door. No answer. I knocked a bit harder. Silence.  
'Oh crap!' I opened the door to find an empty table and an open window. She was gone.

Glaciero's POV

It's a good thing I woke up when I did. I didn't know how much more of that nightmare I could stand! It was a bad thing, however, that the two boys in front of me were wearing leaf village headbands.  
"Humph, I don't owe you 'Kona-homos' any information! I _should've_ died there!" I saw the brown haired one try to reach for Johan's hat, so I quickly snatched it back. He could bring me here, make a nurse stab me with a needle, he could even be from the leaf village! But _no one_ touches his hat! It meant more than life to me. Then he growled at me, the nerve. I would've hissed back, but the one with the sunglasses and poofy hair then told me how long I was out. 1 week, 2 days. A week and two days? That meant that... any sign of Kabuto...  
"I've... I've been... that long?" I murmured. I listened to the first one talk to me, but I wasn't really _listening. _I looked back up. They had left the room and were talking outside my door. "If things get more drastic, we'll have to do as the Hokage instructed." I heard the sunglass one say.  
"You mean..." the other one answered. There was silence. I knew what he meant. They were gonna use truth syrum on me when I refused to cooperate. So this was it. They find out who I am, report me to the ANBU, and I go to jail or be sent to be executed for my "unspeakable crime." I couldn't believe I had gone this far... all for nothing. Was it all for nothing? I looked at the hat in my hands as Johan's face flashed through my memory. I gripped it tightly.  
'No.' Kabuto wouldn't lose me that easily! I ripped the tubes out of my body and jumped out of bed. I instantly felt the consequence for my actions as gravity was competing against me to stand up. I steadied myself on the bed and looked at the room spinning around me. I closed my eyes, then slowly opened them as the room began to focus. My stomach stung as I clutched my throbbing side.  
I traced the stitches stretching across the right side of my upper waist.  
"I-I have to fight through this!" I whispered weakly to myself, gaining balance and standing up completely. I put my clothes on carefully, gathered my stuff back in my bag, put the hat on that had protected me all those years, and opened the window.  
'Hope it protects me now!' I gathered chakra into my feet and stumbled down the side of the building. Apparently, luck was running out because half way down, I lost balance and landed on my neck on the dusty street. A sting of pain shot through my side as I restrained myself from screaming. I looked to the side to see a small red spot forming in the side of my shirt.  
'Damn, I ripped the seam!' I thought angrily slowly sitting up and feeling the full effect. I cringed as I ripped a strip out of my hospital gown in my bag and rapped it around my stomach.  
"Nice try, Konaha," I said to myself standing up and walking towards the gate, "but it'll take more than _that_ to slow me down!"

Me: Uuuuuhhhh... I'm pretty sure those tubes should've stayed in you. Glaciero: Shut up! I'm making a run for... OOOWWW! Me: What was that? Glaciero: Nothing, I'm _fine!_ Me: Ok, ok, geez!

Kiba's POV

"Damn it! We were only gone a few minutes!" I said looking around the empty room.  
"She just _left_?"   
"She was hooked up to an IV drop; does she want to die?!?" Shino asked as the "ever-so-bubbly" nurse came in with a tray of food. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but she's escaped. I looked out the window and down to see a small puddle of blood at the foot of the building.  
"Oh no! She can't leave yet! We just patched her up; she hasn't even gotten pain killers yet!" she said, a worried expression on her face.  
'I was wondering when she would change emotions!' I thought, then realized what she had said.   
"Please, you _must_ go get her!" she begged looking at the empty bed.  
"She's critically injured and couldn't have gotten far," Shino pointed out looking back to me. "Kiba, you'll be enough to catch her." I sighed.  
"Awwwwwwww do I _have_ to? That little pest has caused me enough trouble!" I whined.  
"It's a mission now," he stated with that piercing stare of his that said "disobey me and you die." I sighed again as I jumped through the window and landed lightly with a thud. Akamaru was waiting outside do to the "no dogs policy," but ran over to me as I landed. I sniffed the bloody puddle at the bottom to pick up her scent and headed towards the gates.  
"You won't get away from _my_ nose!" I said as we ran down the road.

Glaciero's POV

I panted as I cut through the forest with my katana. I shouldn't have pushed it so hard. I clutched my now bleeding side as I rested against a tree. I concentrated chakra into my nose, sensing a man and an animal tracking me.  
'N-not surprising: I'm being followed.' It smelled like 2 dogs coming, but one of them was bigger; much bigger. 'Well, can't stop now,' I thought as I pushed off the tree.

Kiba's POV

"Where does she think she's going in her condition? What do you think she's trying to pull, Akamaru?" Akamaru barked happily as he ran besides me. There were signs of her, alright, but they were all obvious... a little _to_ obvious. Broken twigs, trampled grass. Plus her scent was all over the place! Was she just stupid? Or was she _mocking_ us? I found my answer; there was a fresh smear of blood on a tree trunk beside me.  
'She isn't being careless. She's running for her life and managing all she can.' I ran down the road.  
"We gotta stop her before she hurts herself!"  
"Arf!"

Glaciero's POV

"No more... this is it..." I had lost a lot of blood, my side was drenched in most of it, and I could see the colors getting fuzzier. I would've collapsed right there in the road, until...  
"Hey! Do you know how stupid you are?" Dog-boy. I collected myself and stood up straight.  
"I've been told numerous times," I answered, still looking down the opposite end of the road.  
"Everyone's worried. You need to go back and get some fluids in you." I turned to face him.  
"Pfft, like I care." His eyes narrowed as a little, white dog ran up beside him and sat down.  
"Look, you're coming back with me. I don't even see how you're still standing!" I smirked and smiled slyly.  
"Get outta here, dog-boy, you'll only get hurt. Even in my current state," I said turning my back to him, "you don't have a _shot. _" I could tell I had hit a nerve. I felt him charging at me; I was dead if I showed any weakness. My back was still to him as his punch aimed for my head. I leaned to the right and, gathering all my strength, grabbed his descending wrist and threw him over my shoulder. He flipped over on all fours and skidded to a halt, his expression shocked.  
'My only chance of tracking down Kabuto is to leave immediately, but obviously I wouldn't get very far SRGT. McGruff over there to drag me back. I have to get rid of him... no matter what that means.'  
"Look, I tried to get away nicely, and I don't want to," I said untying the headband around my neck and redoing on my forehead, "but if you don't get out of the way..." I bared my teeth, knowing there was no going back now. "I'm going to have to kill you."

Kiba's POV  
'You've gotta be kidding!' I thought as she charged at me. She did some hand signs I didn't recognize and yelled, "Claw Cyclone Jutsu!" She instantly began spinning, slow at first then slowly becoming quicker. Soon she was a swirling mini-tornado that was heading for me. 'Can't get hit by that!' I thought, getting into a defensive state as she got closer. Suddenly, a claw came out from the vortex and slashed at my shoulder. I had just ducked slightly to avoid it when another claw came out and ripped my shirt collar.  
'I have to be faster than her! Which seems rather impossible at this point. What have I gotten myself into?' Suddenly both claws came out at the same time, each scratching one of my cheeks in a jagged line. I grunted and was probably gonna get seriously hurt if Glaciero hadn't stopped right then and there.

Glaciero's POV

I was ready to put that mutt down when suddenly...  
"Where's the kyuubi?" I stopped dead and looked around. No one was there but me and 2 dogs. Was I hearing things? I started to start up again.  
"You think I'd tell a geek like you, Four-eyes?" I stopped again.  
'No, I-I haven't heard that voice in...,' Kiba was just staring at me, obviously not hearing voices.  
"Don't test my patience, Nowack! Tell me where it is and we _may_ spare your sister."  
"I have no sister." A pain shot up my spine. I whimpered and grabbed my side. Another pain surged through my body, this one more intense.  
"Aaaaaurgh!" I yelled clutching my side.  
"Lord Orochimaru will get what he wants, no matter what you do. Why sacrifice yourself to such a hopeless cause?" I covered my ears. The sound still came through louder than ever.  
"Because, unlike you, I make my own choices. I _choose_ this. (laughs) You, on the other hand, did not choose to be a scrawny, silver haired wimp who takes directions from someone else. It just comes naturally, I suppose!"  
"Shut up!"  
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!"  
'No, make it stop; I don't want to hear this again!' I wouldn't have to. The world around me soon began to grow fuzzy as I lost my balance. The world still spun as pain stung through my body. I was unconscious before I hit the ground.

Me: I warned you didn't I? Glaciero: ... Me: Hello? Are you okay?... Uh-oh. KIBA!  
Hey, I don't blame you, Kiba. Shino scares the crap outta me, so I'd do whatever he said, too. He could be like, "Hit your head against the wall." (Bam!) "Now do it again!" lol


	3. Rescued

Glaciero's POV

I slowly blinked my eyes open to the familiar blindness of the hospital lighting, my headband in my right hand.  
"Do you know how stupid you are?" a gruff voice asked from beside me. I turned to see Kiba sitting in a chair at my bedside, face serious. I smirked.  
"I've been told numerous times before, but you can update me if you'd like." His eyes narrowed.  
"You _just_ got stitched up and you decided to go for a run?" I turned away from him.  
"I have my reasons," I said softly.  
"What could _possibly_ be more important than your life?!?" I looked back to him.  
"Revenge." He stopped, his face going from anger to confusion in a second.  
"Against us? Look, I'm sorry we rescued you, but..."  
"No," I cut in. "Not you. Someone else that I was tracking till you found me." His face softened.  
"Oh, who is that?" I smirked and flexed my hand, feeling the tube that was reinstalled in my wrist.  
"Sorry, but nothing's changed. You're still from Konaha and I'm still pissed."  
"Why? I saved your life... _twice!_"  
"Yeah, but I wouldn't BE i here if it weren't for you in the first place!" I yelled back sitting up. Pain shot through my side as I winced and held my side, falling back on the bed.  
"Don't push it to hard and hurt yourself," he said, concern in his voice.  
I looked up to him and was about to say something, but then I saw his face. I laughed as he looked at me confused. "What?" I pointed to his face.  
"Your cheeks!" There were thick bandages with tape covering an injury; an injury he didn't have until he fought _me._ He felt them and blushed. "I actually _hurt_ you?!?"  
"Oh, I forgot about that," he murmured. I smiled and giggled.  
"You embarrassed?"  
"No! I just... well... I didn't know how... You were..." He didn't know what to say.  
'How cute. He's speechless.' He needed information or the Hokage wouldn't be pleased. He may even come down and deal with me personally. 'The new hokage must be a tough dude if he replaced the third.' I sighed.  
"My name is Glaciero." He sat up, curious.  
"Last name?"  
"Shouldn't you right this down?" He laughed.  
"I won't forget _this._" I sighed again.  
"Nowack, Glaciero Nowack."  
"Native village?"  
"Village hidden in the Sand," I said holding up my headband.  
"Rank?"  
"I've been a Genin for 5 years." He looked up curiously.  
"F-for 5... that means that became one when you were 8 years old!"  
"Oh good; the dog can count! Your point is?"  
"Well, why don't you, ya know, go back to your village and become a Chuunin?" I looked down and stared at my headband.  
"I-I haven't been to my village in... 3 years." I knew he was looking at me, but I couldn't let him see my weak side.  
"Any kekkay-genkai(sp)?" he asked skipping to the next question.  
"No, but my family inherits and passes down different attacks that was used by my ancestors when we come of age."  
"Was one of them that thing you used on me? I'd never seen something like that before!" I tightly gripped the headband.  
"Y-yes." I could still remember that day.

Flashback:

"Alright, you two ready?" a tall, black haired man asked. He was tall and slightly tanned, with black hair and onyx eyes.  
"Ready!" an energetic 8 year old girl replied. She had black hair, as well, but with brown eyes.  
"Yeah," the brown-eyed boy next to her answered. He was 12 and had brown hair with a dark gray streak running from the front of his bangs to the back of his head. All three of them wore a sand village headband around their foreheads. The two kids each stood in front of a tree in the forest.  
"Alright then. One, two, three... go!" The kids both did the same hand signs, dragon-ram-monkey-dragon, and charged at the tree in front of them. Both their hands started to glow blue, but only the boy's transformed into paws with sharp claws jutting out of them. The girl's hands only grew claws, but she kept running anyway. They both slashed into a tree, the boy tearing a small chunk out of his while the girl only left a small dent and cut her knuckles on the bark. She let out a small yelp as they both stepped back and let the tall man examine their work.  
"Hehe, nice job Glacier- toad!" the boy said to the girl grinning triumphantly.  
"Shut up, Johan! All you did was make a hole!" she yelled back.  
"Well at least _I_ can make a hole!"  
"All right stop it, both of you!" the man said cutting in and looking back to them. "I just taught it to you yesterday! You shouldn't be able to produce _any_ results!" Both children shot each other glares. "Glaciero, you're not being aggressive enough. You need to focus a little harder." Johan smirked. "And Johan, you, on the hand, are being _to_ aggressive. You need to relax a little more." Glaciero stuck her tongue out at him as the man sighed. "Well, that's enough for the day."  
"I'm gonna stay a bit longer," Glaciero said tightening the headband around her forehead.  
"Okay, son, let's go start dinner," the man said walking away towards the house i the middle of the forest. Johan looked back at Glaciero once more before following his father.

4 hours

Glaciero lay on her back panting. The tree in front of her was burnt in random areas and had scattered dents in it. She was completely drained of chakra, but she tried desperately to catch her breath so she could try again.  
'It's... no good. I'll... never... get this!'  
"Tired already?" a voice came from behind her as her eyes widened. She looked up to see Johan standing over her, arms crossed. He was wearing his favorite hat, a black wool one. She sighed.  
"What do _you_ want?" she asked sitting up and tucking her knees into her chest.  
"Dad wanted me to get you for dinner," he replied sitting down next to her as they both stared at the tree.  
"You know, the problem is probably your headband," Johan said pointing to the metal strap on her head. She touched it lightly.  
"M-my headband?"  
"Yeah, I've seen you. It always comes down on your eyes as you're trying to do the hand signs. I only wear mine on my head when I want to show an opponent I'm facing respect or when I'm training. Why don't you try wearing it somewhere else?" She untied it and thought a moment, then retied it around her neck. He laughed.  
"Just because you put it in the same place as your tutor wears hers doesn't mean you'll be as good as her," he said still snickering.  
"Hey, I'm not doing it because of Temari! I just like it this way, so deal with it!" she yelled back.  
"Okay, but if someone punches you in the throat," he warned making a slashing motion across his own throat, "you're done."  
"It's staying there," she said tightening the strap. He closed his eyes and shook his head.  
"Man, you graduated the academy before _I_ even did, but are you ever dim!" She smiled smally, then looked down sadly.  
"Why are you being so supportive all of a sudden when you always pick on me?" He sighed and looked down.  
"I don't know. You graduated the academy yesterday with high honors; I still have a year to go. Dad was proud he taught you a technique almost 7 years early. He probably only included me so I wouldn't get my feelings hurt." He looked up at the tree. "Now this. I-I guess... I was jealous. I thought of this as an excuse to grind you down." He reached over and ruffled Glaciero's hair. "I guess my little sister's growing up to fast for me!" She smiled and shook her head and smoothed her hair back down.  
"Ar-are you sure you _mean_ that?" she asked looking up to him. He smiled and took off his hat. He just stared at it, turning it around and studying it.  
"Dad gave me this hat for mastering the chidori, remember? He was so happy because all he had done was tell me the hand signs he had seen Kakashi Hatake use on him. It was finally something no one in my age group could do, something not even you can do; I got it in a week." He looked over to her. "But you'll surpass me one day. All I got is because of talent, but _you..._" He dumped the hat on her head. "You got everything out of hard work. You'll be a great kunoichi one day, Glaciero." She stared wide eyed. That hat meant more than life to him; he _never_ let anyone touch it, let alone _wear_ it! Suddenly, she smiled and her eyes filled up with tears.  
"Now I'm only letting you wear it home, so don't get used to it!" he said putting his hands behind his head. Glaciero kept smiling.  
"Thank you," she said softly. He smiled.  
"Well, I think we've worried dad enough. Let's go," he said getting up and walking towards the middle of the forest. She stood up and walked behind him. Before leaving she looked back to the tree and smiled.  
'I'll do it someday. I swear.' She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and followed her brother.

End Flashback:

I wiped the tear out of my eye quickly as I snapped back into reality.  
'Hope he didn't see that.'

Kiba's POV

Glaciero was just staring there, zoned out. Who knows what she was remembering.  
'What happened to make her like this?' Suddenly, lit up as she realized that I was in the room. She quickly rubbed the tear in her eye and gained her posture.  
"Why did you leave?" I asked, unsure of what to do next. She looked up.  
"Now _that_ is something I won't tell you. You should be happy that I even gave you my name!"  
"How do we know that's your real name?" She smirked.  
"I may be a lot of things, but I'm no lier. I wouldn't lie even to protect myself. I'm at Konaha's mercy now. Now why don't you run along and give your little report to the hokage?" she asked pointing to the door.  
"Yeah, actually I should," I said walking to the door and turning the handle.  
"Hey, wait a sec," she said, my back to her, "what's my condition?" I smiled and picked up the chart that lay on the counter.  
"Here, go nuts," I said as it landed softly in her lap.  
'She's in for a treat,' I thought shutting the door.


	4. The Mist Village

Glaciero's POV

I opened the folder that Kiba had tossed on my lap, which held a report:

Name: Unknown

Age: Unspecified

Condition: Large stab wound in lower back. Due to inability to stay in room, stitches broke and wound has spread to right side. Left arm fractured in three places and one broken rib. Was unable to wake from unconsciousness when first arrived; may have been exposed to mangekyo sharingun.

Notes: Outsider; genin currently trying to get information of patient's past.

It had the Hokage stamp of approval on the front. I shut it. I didn't need to read more, nor did I have the will to. All I needed to know was that I was in crappy shape and wouldn't dare try to escape again or I really i would /i die! I shut my eyes and rested with my hands cradling my head.

'My only option is to stay here and heal up until I hear of someone who has information. Until then...' I sighed and rolled over. My eyes began to flutter asleep as I saw Kabuto's smug face appear in my mind.

'I i will /i find you.' I fell asleep quickly.

FF 4 days later

Kiba had just left from checking up on me, probably for the last time. I looked at the chair he had sat on, which held the newspaper scroll he had been reading.

'He must have left it by accident. Dogs are so forgetful,' I thought picking it up and unwinding it. The date was from today, so I scanned the front page until something caught my eye. 'Yes... why didn't I think of it before?' There was his name on the front page: Markan Obawazu.

FF 1 day later

I put on my tattered shirt after I had finished sewing it up. It had quite a tear in it do to my fight with dog-boy, and I had just gotten around to fixing it. My bag was packed, my energy was up, and I was completely cured of my injuries. I planted the note next to my empty food tray, uncaring if anyone ever read it, and escaped through my window. I landed gracefully on the ground below and began running towards the gate.

"Today is the day!"

Kiba's POV

'Today is the day.' Glaciero was to be released that day, so I made my way through the hospital halls following the familiar route to her room. I was to escort her to the Hokage's office to complete my mission and finally get that girl of my hands. I entered her room to see an unmade bed and everything gone: no bag, no Glaciero.

"Are you Kiba Inuzuka?" a blonde nurse asked stopping me in the hall.

"Yes, why?" She handed me a small, folded piece of paper.

"This is addressed to you," she said before heading out of the room and heading in the opposite direction. I unfolded the many creases of the tiny paper and read:

Dear Dog-breath,

Sorry I have to skip out on paying for the hospital room. The drugs were nice, but there's something I gotta do. I promise that if I survive I'll hurry straight back! Well... actually, no I probably won't. Kill you later!

Good bye forever,

Glaciero

p.s thanks for the newspaper

"Newspaper?" I muttered to myself looking around. On her side table there sat the news-scroll I was reading yesterday. "I must have left it," I said to myself reading the front page headlines:

**(MasakoX Confirmed as Accomplice for Friday Night Heist)**

**(How Much Chakra is to Much?)**

**(Zabuza Toy Sword Prices Raised $7.80)**

**(Markan Obawazu Case Renewed: Evidence Uncovered)**

'Obawazu? Why does that sound familiar?' I read down till I found the article:

Markan Obawazu: everyone knows him as Mr. Obawazu, one of the few millionaires in the entire world. The 41 year old started his vastly successful company almost 10 years ago and in 2007 was named one of the top 5 "Most Influential Self-Made Millionaires". Many people to this day still wonder how he acquired his wealth from only selling and shipping motor parts. Not many people, however, know of his shifty past as a government official for the Wind nation. Being second in command, behind warfare official Black-fang Nowack, ...

"N-Nowack?" I asked myself aloud. I continued reading.

..., Markan had almost complete control over the Wind Nation's status of attack, defense, and weapon ammunition. Around 7 years ago, Black-fang was put on trial for betrayal of the sand village, the Kazekage being tipped off

that he was sneaking important strategy documents to the sound village. Nowack insisted that he had nothing to do with the likes of the sound village and insisted that Markan was the one stealing information.

"I assure you, I had no part in it," Markan stated. "Do I look like the kind of person who would do that?" Black-fang Nowack was charged with treason against state and morals and was sentenced to death by starvation. He lasted 6 days.

"... Oh my god... Glaciero..." Was i this /i why she was so bitter?

With Nowack gone, Markan took the place of his fallen comrade and became the new warfare official. Only months later, the Sound village waged war on the sand and demanded a dozen men as prisoners. Unexpectedly, the sand's defenses fell apart and the sound was able to infiltrate. The Kazekage, seeing no other choice, was forced to surrender 12 of his men from his police squad to the sound. They would never been heard from again. Along with the men, $10,000 was taken from the tax vault below their Government building. It was never proven, however, that Orochimaru had anything to do with it. Markan resigned his position shortly afterward and started the business we know today.

Recently, however, new evidence was discovered that may prove differently than the jury. It was found that when bankers were putting money in the vault, a finger print was on the ceiling when looked upon more carefully. The owner of the print, Markan Obawazu, was in the vault on a regular basis, when he was in power, to check if the money was all there.

"I must have forgotten to wear gloves that day!" he commented laughing to himself. Now government officials are wondering, "If Markan stole the money, who says he couldn't have framed Black-fang, as well, all those years ago?" Markan now resides in the mist village, the headquarters of his shipping business, SAD. (Shipping And Dealing) Rumors that Markan acquired his wealth by the means of Orochimaru are still floating around. Others say he must be a member of the Wasaragi clan, who deal in drugs and other matters, to have become so powerful. No re-trial has been scheduled, but police may look into it soon.

'Then... this means she's gonna...'

"Damn it!" I yelled in frustration running out the doorway.

Glaciero's POV

I could see the gates to the mist village as I got off the boat and stepped on the island.

"Sorry," I said to the old rower who had taken me there, "I don't seem to have any money."

"Uhhhh... that's okay! It's free of charge! Just be on your way!" the old man said with his hands shaking in front of his body. There was fear in his voice and eyes, but he kept a cheesy smile on as not to aggravate me.

"Thank you," I replied and kept walking. He was afraid of me, just as he should've been. He must've seen how enraged I was, him having sung show-tunes the entire 1.5 hours there. It was a good thing we arrived when we did because by the end I was ready to grab the pole he was using, chew through it, and throw it overboard. I untied my headband and put it in my backpack so as not to attract too much attention. I appeared to be just a regular civilian, which is exactly what I wanted. I wasn't exactly sure i where /i to start searching for Markan Obawazu. I hadn't read the entire article, only skimmed through it in order to find his location, the mist village. I also knew that he was a powerful crime boss that would undoubtfully have worked with Orochimaru at some point in time and would know his location. As I entered the gates I saw crowds of people all over, looking in windows, chatting with each other, gambling on street corners.

'So, Mr. Obawazu, where are you hiding?' I asked myself in my mind as I made my way into the crowd.


	5. Old acquaintances

Kiba's POV

Shino and I walked up to the gates of the village after the painfully long boat ride there. I hadn't brought Akamaru becuase he would just get in the way where i we /i were going.

"You sure she's here?" Shino asked. I shrugged.

"The article just said 'Mist village.' He could really be anywhere, but Glaciero would definitely come here first." We looked around at the chaos that was brought here with Markan: gambling halls, Icha Icha Paradise book parlors, bars on every corner. Everyone looked either drunk or really happy. Or both, I couldn't really tell.

"I don't think we should split up for long in this kind of town," I stated as I ducked from a man with a bottle running past us, almost hitting me in the head with it. Shino nodded.

"We'll meet at the fountain in the middle of town in 30 minutes," he said and walked off down an alley. I sweatdropped.

"That's still a long time!"

I shouted after him, but he was already gone. I sighed and made my way down the glass encrusted street.

Glaciero's POV

FF 30 minutes

"Thanks, sir," I said to the bartender as I got the hell out of that bar. I looked down at my watch.

'Man, I've been snooping around for like half an hour and i still /i no usefull information!' I needed to get out of that town, though. It was no place for a girl my age. Plus the enitre town seemed to smell like a combination of alchohal, vomit, and shame. As I looked in a store window, I saw the reflection of a man leaning against a lightpost... staring at me. He reached into his shirt to pull something out, but I didn't give him a chance.

Kiba's POV

I waited at the fountain for Shino, him finally appearing in a tornado of bugs.

"Dude, lay off the ninjutsu, okay!" I half whispered, half screamed at him. "No one knows we're ninjas; you're gonna blow our cover!" He smirked.

"Please, more than half these people don't even know where they are right now. I doubt i any /i of them will remember us or even notice us." I sighed as we began walking down the street.

"Any luck?"

"No, but I will confirm that Markan is in this town. I've seen some of his goons trying to trail me a couple of times."

"Me, too! A big with an eye patch?"

"I got him a couple of..." Suddenly he stopped, putting his hand on my chest making me cough and stopping me as well. I looked up to see Glaciero looking in a shop window. I was about to run over and beat the crap out of her for all the trouble she's caused us when I noticed the large man with an eyepatch watching her.

'That's the same guy that was following me!' He reached into his shirt to grab something when Glaciero took off running down the street. I jumped in front of him, preventing him from following as Shino came around the back.

"Don't you think it's rude for a man to stare at a girl in such a manner?" I asked him as he smiled greatly at me.

"Is she a friend of yours, runt?" he asked pulled out 5 heat- seeking shuriken from his shirt and...

You: --' (Heat... seeking... shuriken?) Me: Hey it's i my /i book! I can do whatever I want, okay! You: --' (... dumbass.) Me: I heard that!!!

... and threw them all at Glaciero with one hand. Shino's bugs quickly whipped around and formed a wall, shuriken scattering bugs as they dug into the barrier.

'Hope that was all of them,' I thought as I tried to see around the insect wall. I looked back to the man.

"You i snake! /i What do you want with her?" The man began laughing.

"I don't think you're in any position to be asking the questions, kid!" he said with a large grin on his face.

"Actually, I was about to say the same thing to you," Shino finnally spoke up as the man tried to move his arm. It didn't move. He slowly looked down to see his body coated in insects, securing his body.

"It's useless to try and escape," Shino said as the man grunted and struggled. "My bugs won't finish feeding until they're satisfied. There'll be nothing left." The man started yelling and screaming as he struggled against the bugs with no result. I looked around to see that, unsurprisingly, no one was looking at the man screaming in the middle of the street, nor did they seem to notice us at all.

"Aaaaaauurrggh! Y-you won't get away! I alerted the boss the moment I s-saw her; he said that he'd deal with h-her i personally! /i Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Then he was gone, nothing but a puddle of insects.

'His boss? Who...' Realization hit us.

"Glaciero!"

Glaciero's POV

I ran as fast as I could with the shuriken still embedded in my arm. I didn't see why the man had stopped chasing me, so I stopped and pushed my back against a tree. I couldn't hear anything, quite the opposite; it was completely silent. I ripped the weapon out with my right hand and heard it drop to the ground with a soft clink. Blood immediately began streaming out of the wound and down my arm as I went into my bag a pulled out the roll of gauze I had taken from the hospital room. Seeing it made me smile.

'They never said it wasn't free.' I wrapped my arm tightly with the tape and cut the end with my teeth.

"Tired already, are we, Deary?" a voice came from in front of me. It was so familiar it mad me shiver.

'T-that voice... where have heard it before?' I slowly looked up to see a man with green hair and tattoos scattered on his muscular body.

"D-do I know you?" I asked as I put the gauze back in my bag. He crossed his arms and frowned.

"Glaciero! It makes me sad that you don't remember your own father's dearest friend!"

'N-no!'

Kiba's POV

We hurridely jumped from tree-to-tree, searching for Glaciero.

"She's dead if Markan finds her before we do!" I said sniffing the air for her scent.

"Yeah, Kiba, but there i is /i something I should tell you. In the event that i he /i finds her first..." Suddenly he stopped on a branch, grabbing the back of my collar and pulling me back as well.

"(Choke) Dude you gotta stop doing that!" I said rubbing my throat, anime veins popping out of my forehead. "At least give me a warning or..." I was cut off by his hand covering my mouth.

"Shhhhhhhh..." he said. I looked ahead to see Glaciero and a tall, muscular man with green hair.

"Glaciero! It makes me sad that you don't remember your own father's dearest friend!" Her eyes became wide.

"M-Markan?" she asked, falling on her butt and backing up against the tree. "But... you... you're the same Markan ... as Markan Obawazu?!" He put his hands on his hips and began laughing.

" i That's /i Markan Obawazu?!" I half whispered, half yelled at Shino. He nodded and removed his hand. I looked back to Glaciero.

'We're to late!'

"There, now that's better!" Markan said folding his arms. "You always i were /i the slower of the Nowack siblings. My how you've grown, though! I almost didn't recognize you!" She reamained silent, looking down at the ground. "Now my gaurds tell me that you've been snooping around my town, uncovering stones that should never be turned. I know we're old aquaintences and all, but I simply can not allow this. I have to make sure that you never tell..."

"Shut up! How i dare /i you talk to me, you evil, twisted man!" Glaciero snapped, suddenly shooting her head up. "Do you have i any /i idea what you did to us?!? You framed my father! You tore what little of our family we had apart!" Markan looked shocked that she had finally spoken, but then smirked.

"Please, Deary, you're father was soft. He deserved what he got."

"My father was a kind and just man! He was nothing but kind to you and i this /i is how you repay him?" she asked, rage filling her voice. He laughed again.

"We're straying from the point a little, aren't we? You are someplace you don't belong." He cracked his knuckles and smiled. "Maybe I should do you a favor and reunite you and your father? Would i that /i satisfy you?" She growled at him.

"You i snake. /i "

"Come on, Shino, we gotta help!" I whispered beggining to jump out of the tree, only to be caught by my hood and raised back onto the branch.

"No, Kiba, this is what I was trying to explain to you," he stated pointing to Markan. "You see that man? He is one of the most powerful crime bosses in the entire world. He works for the Wasaragi family and is a vicious leader who will stop at nothing to win. Glaciero can't be saved this time, and if you get involved you'll only get us both killed!" My eyes widened.

"B-but... she..."

"When the fight is over, we'll wait a while then collect her body for Tsunade." He looked to her. "All we can do is wait." I looked at the anger in Glaciero's expression, her fists shaking at her side, her clenched teeth. Those eyes that I had learned to avoid, however, were filled with fear and pain.

'N-no...'


	6. Blade betrayal

Glaciero's POV

There were three things I knew. One: Markan used to be my father's best friend and was now a successful crime boss, who was probably worth more dead than alive. Two: he now stood infront of me with the intention of killing me while my arm bled through the gauze I had wrapped it in. Three: no one would come rescue me this time.

'Only one thing to do at this point,' I thought pulling myself together and standing up and

unsheathing my sword. 'Grit your teeth and fight!'

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" I yelled running at him, my drawn sword pointing at his stomach. I

sliced through the air as he leaned to the left, dodging it. I kept slicing as he just smiled at me, almost mockingly. Suddenly, he grabbed my right wrist and squeezed it hard, making me grimace in pain. His foot lifted and kicked me in the stomach, sending me across the dirt on my back. I slowly sat up and saw the sword at his feet. He laughed.

"Oh? So the Nowack has a new toy from when I last saw you?" he said nudging it with his foot. "You should be more careful with it, though. Something could happen to it!" He

kicked it to his left, it making a trail in the dirt as it went. "Get away from it!" I yelled retrieving 2 kunai and holding one in each hand. I ran at him, doing hand signs as I went. "Claw Cyclone!" I began spinning, both the kunai and myself swirling into a tornado of anger. I executed my attacks as quickly as possible, but he kept avoiding them with ease. Finally the kunai pierced both of his shoulders as he cried out in pain and threw me off of him. I landed on my back as the kunai left my hands and were sent in opposite directions. I looked up to see Markan smiling.

"Why, Deary?" he asked holding his shoulders. "Why would you hurt me like this, after all we've been through. We used to be so close."

"Shut up and tell me where he is!" I screamed as I charged at him, knuckles bared. He only smiled as I aimed a punch at his head. He leaned slightly to the right, dodging it as another punch flew past his stomach. I kept throwing punches one after the other, him dodging and backing up after each one. Just then he grabbed my right fist and

wrapped his hand around it tightly. I punched with my other fist only for the same thing to be done to it.

Kiba's POV

"Glaciero, after all this time I thought you would have changed!" Markan said, still tightly holding her fists. "But no, sadly. You're still the same, weak, smart talker that I abandoned all those years ago." Her face was enraged like I'd never seen it before, her teeth bared and her eyes piercing.

"I'll i kill /i you, you pathetic piece of-" Markan kneed her in the stomach hard,

knocking the breath out of her and making her slump over. Markan grabbed her throat and lifted her high in the air. He laughed for a good 10 seconds.

"Just like your old man. Tsk, tsk. I thought you would've put up more of a fight," he said as Glaciero kicked in the air gasping for breath and trying to pry his hand off her throat. "Oh well, I'll just finish this now!" He dropped her and punched her in the stomach with

incredible strength, sending her flying through the air. She landed hard on her back about 7 yards away from him. "Please, Shino," I begged "Can't we do i anything? /i " He shook his head. "It's to risky. Just stay low and keep quite." He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care so much, anyway? She's just a sand genin who is nothing but rude to the both of us." I thought for a minute. "I-I... I don't know."

"It's such a shame," Markan said as Glaciero slowly rose to her feet, her forehead bleeding. "I wanted to play with you a little longer, but I'm afraid I can't forgive you for that little 'stunt.'"

"Don't... you dare... talk about forgiveness..." she panted. "I'll i never /i forgive you!" He began laughing, slowly at first then began growing hysterical.

"The only way i you /i could kill me is with laughter, Deary, and at this rate you probably will!" He reached behind his back and pulled out a demon wind shuriken. "Now then, why don't you die!" He wound up and threw it like a frisbee directly at her. She quickly jumped into the air, the blade spinning underneath her feet and disappearing behind her. She landed and smiled.

"Is i that /i the best you can do?" she asked. Markan smiled.

"You shouldn't let your guard down." Her smile disappeared as her head turned behind her. I looked to see that the shuriken was coming back at her like a boomerang. She jumped as the shuriken passed under her body a second time as she landed on her stomach. I looked to Markan.

'No... what's he-' I wanted to yell and warn her, but Shino covered my mouth with his hand. I struggled and fought back, but I was to late.

' b Glaciero! /i '

Glaciero's POV

I swiftly leapt over the shuriken as it passed under me a second time. I landed on my feet and hunched over.

'That was... to close. Gotta be more careful.' I heard something whizzing towards me and realized my back was to Markan, so I began to turn around. However, I was to late. My sword was going 60 mph at me as it plunged into my stomach, below my ribcage.


	7. BlackFang Nowack

Kiba's POV

The sword went right through her stomach, making her eyes widen as she screamed out in pain. She gripped the handle with both hands shakily as she dropped down to her knees, blood dripping out the corners of her mouth. Markan began laughing as he lowered his arm from throwing the blade.

"You forgot your sword," he said still snickering.

"That's it!" I whispered to myself. "I can't just watch this anymore!" With all my strength, I tried to push myself out of the tree; my body wouldn't budge. I looked down.

'Oh c'mon!' Shino's bugs completely coated the bottom half of my body, paralyzing me.

"Kiba!" he hissed in my ear. "Don't do anything foolish! That girl is i done /i and there's nothing you, nor I, can do about it. You'll only get us both killed." I was silent, pondering what he had said.

'Done? H-he doesn't even think she has a i chance /i ?' Shino sighed.

"Don't worry. It'll be over soon enough." I looked out at Glaciero. She just sat there on her knees, blood slowly spilling out of her wound onto the dirt as she watched it. Her eyes were full of fear and anguish. So... helpless.

'Don't give up. i Please, /i don't give up.'

Glaciero's POV

"AAAAAAAUUUGGGHH!" I screamed out in pain as I dropped to my knees. My insides burned like hell as I saw blood surround the sword that protruded from my stomach. I dropped to my knees in pain, tightly gripping the sword's handle.

"You forgot your sword," Markan said, laughing like a hyena. I would've cursed him in my head, but my injury was to overwhelming for me to think of revenge. All I could focus on was the pain. The pain of the injury, the pain of the past, the pain of knowledge.

'Am... am I this i weak? /i Has this all b-been for nothing?'

Flashback:

"What are you doing? Please stop! Bring daddy back!" a black haired girl of about 8 pleaded with the 2 men handcuffing her father in the doorway.

"Sorry, little girl. Your father has been accused of crimes against the village," the first guard said fastening the second cuff.

"B-but... he..."

"Don't worry, Honey," Black-fang said sweetly as the guards each put a a hand on each shoulder. "If this is what's best for the village, then it must be so."

"B-but, Daddy," she pleaded, "y-you would i n-never /i betray the village! You l-love it!" He bent down and kissed his daughter on the forehead as Johan came up behind her.

"Do not i ever /i give up," he said smiling at her. A tear rolled down her cheek as he straightened his back and faced his son. "Take care of your sister." He smirked. "Or you're grounded!" Johan tried to smile back, but found it difficult through the tears in both his own and his father's eyes. The guards led him out the doorway.

"Daddy?" The door shut. " i Daddy! /i " She ran towards the door, but Johan grabbed her and reined her back in. "Come back, D-dad! Please!"

"Calm down. There's n-nothing we can do anymore."

"No, let me go! I'll catch them and g-get him back! Daddy!" They sunk to the ground as Glaciero sobbed into her brothers chest."

'Dad... dad...'

End Flashback

"What's wrong, Deary?" he asked. "Are you finally getting it? Have you i finally /i realized that your father was nothing but a weak, insignificant

dissapointment who did nothing but dream and talk big! A i loser! /i No surprise, then, that i you're /i one, as well!"

"S-stay... away from me..." I choked out. "I-I'll... I'll k-kill you!" I coughed up blood, cringing.

" i You /i ? Kill i me /i ?" He began another fit of laughter. "You never seize to entertain me, Glaciero! Even till the very end you keep that short temper of yours! Don't you see that you never had a shot? You were just a little brat trying to keep up with the grownups and you got tossed aside."

"I-I'm strong... I..."

"There's only i one /i thing you are, Nowack. And you know what that is? i Pathetic. /i " He hissed the last word. My eyes widened.

'N-no... that's...'

Flashback:

"Why are you so weak? I would've expected more. But you know what i you /i are? You're pathetic!"

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

End Flashback:

'That's what... what i he /i said... that night...'

"You're pathetic just like your father, just like your brother..." He smirked. "And just like that Betzan child you were so fond of." My heart stopped. I slowly looked up to him.

"W-what did you s-say?" He smiled.

"Oh? I didn't tell you?" He laughed again. "The Betzan family was in debt a couple years ago, you see, so they took out a loan from the Wasaragi

family! I've been told that you knew their son... Drell I believe?"

'D-drell?' It was painful to think that name. I hadn't heard it in so long.

"W-what the h-hell are you rambling on about n-now? W-what does i he /i have to do with i any /i of this?" He laughed meniaclly again, holding his stomach.

" i Everything! /i Hahahaha! Oh, Deary, if only you knew!"

"N-no..." I gasped. The pain was to much; the world was starting to lose focus. He realized this as well, causing him to smile broadly.

"Deny it all you want, but you i know /i deep in your heart that that would explain everything mysterious about him and-" I coughed loudly, then

immediately gasped for breath. It hurt like hell, but anything to shut him up. "Oh? So you don't like to talk about him, do you? Pfft, what a waste you are. So much time wasted i trying /i to protect the ones you care about! And I say 'trying' quite litterally, Deary!" I stayed silent. "Honestly, how many people have you actually i saved /i that you've tried to?!? Correct me if I'm wrong, but... none?" I stayed silent. His face grew sour. "So now you're not talking to me?" I stayed silent. "Show some damn respect! I could KILL you right now if I wanted to!" I looked down. "Maybe I'll do your father a favor and teach you some manners!" He took out 2 shuriken and threw them at full speed.

"C-can't dodge... to... weak...' I leaned slightly to the side avoiding one while the other dug deep into my left shoulder.

"Aurgh!" I grunted as he glared at me.

"Respect your elders, runt," he demanded. As I lifted a hand and removed the weapon, he folded his arms and smiled. "You'll never become a proper kunoichi if you keep protecting anyone and everything close to you! Some people aren't worth defending." He chuckled lightly. "Especially a i pussy /i like Drell Betzan!" My fists muscles tightened. That did it. I didn't care i what /i would happen to me: he was going to DIE! I shakily raised both hands and gripped the sword's handle. Before Markan could ask, I took a deep breath and pulled the sword out of my body.

"GAAAAAAH!" I screamed, stabbing the earth with its point. I stayed like that, panting and watching the blood drip from my mouth onto the ground.

'I-it hurts... more than I th-thought it would... No! I can't think about it n-now!' I tried steadying myself and shakily stood up, almost falling over. 'Can't... give ... up...'

i "Do not /i ever i give up." /i 

'Dad... wouldn't let... me...' I took a step; pain enveloped my body, sending a sharp stinging through my gut. I saw doubles of everything. 'N-no... I...' I was unconcious before I hit the ground, landing on my stomach.


	8. Darkness from within

Kiba's POV

Glaciero collapsed onto her stomach, a trickle of blood leaking from under her body.

'Is-is she...?' Markan closed his eyes, quietly chuckling to himself. Suddenly his head whipped back as he erupted in a loud roar of laughter, holding his stomach. My fists clenched as he continued to laugh at her lifeless form on the ground. 'This guy... how can he just...!'

Still laughing he slowly began walking over to her, taking his time with each step.

'No! Glaciero, get up! i Please! /i ' Shino's bugs welded me to my spot as I struggled to get out. No results.

"You know, your father often praised you when we were alone," Markan told her, taking slow strides. "I learned a lot about you; about how you were top of your class, graduated with honors, were admired by most of the ninja already genin." He stood over her, staring down at her body. "Pfft, right now I don't see what the big deal is." He kicked her side hard, casuing her to roll from her stomach onto her back. A trickle of blood leaked from her mouth and rolled down her chin. "All I see now is a pathetic excuse for a kunoichi." She just layed there limp, eyes closed. "What did I tell you about not answering me?"

'Please answer him! Wake up and answer him!' I begged in my head, knowing full well she couldn't. Markan chuckled.

"Look at you! To weak to even talk, let alone fight! Was i that /i all talk, as well? I'm a bit disappointed, I must admit. But..." He chuckled. "...no matter." Raising his foot high, he crashed it down on her stomach. A loud crack rang out as I clenched my teeth.

'W-was that a rib?!?'

"(Haha) That's for spoiling my record of not being injured in 2 years, Deary!"

I bared my teeth as my body moved on its own, struggling against the insects holding me. I grunted and pushed myself, trying to break free.

"Kiba!"

"No, dude! This guy is gonna pay! I can't i take i anymore of this!" I whispered sharply.

"Kiba, I don't want to, but if you aren't going to calm down I'll be forced to knock you out, for the good of the mission!" I stopped. He was right; I was acting irrational. Besides, I hardly knew that girl. Why was I behaving like this? A yelp escaped her lips as her face twisted in pain. Markan smiled and kicked her a few times.

"When does the 'killing me' start, huh? You appear to not even care!"

Glaciero's POV

"W-where am I?" I asked myself as I flailed through nothingness. I was falling slowly downward through blackness, but had no idea where I was or how I got there. Drell's smiling face appeared in front of me.

"I will succeed! You'll see! I promise I'll make it happen!"

"D-Drell?" I reached out to touch him, but he disappeared as my fingers fell through the empty image.

"You are weak, little one!" a voice rang out all around me.

Suddenly, I landed on my back, eyes squinting from the pain as I slowly sat up. Rubbing my back and opening my eyes, I looked around, trying to find the owner of the deep voice.

"Who s-said that?" Wherever I was, it was completely dark, excluding a faint light that was barely visible.

"Is your i stupid, /i earthly body going to die on me? I will not allow it!" the voice boomed from behind me. I whipped around to see the faint light resonating off of a giant cage before me. It was completely dark inside it and appeared empty. Just then, two great, red eyes appeared. They were blood red and in each of their centers was a deep formation, similar to a sharingun from the Uchiha clan.

"You are failing your purpose, Nowack. Your destiny was to protect me; you will fail if you die."

"Who-what are you?"

"I would never reveal myself to such a pathetic waste as you, mortal!" the voice growled, startling me and pushing me onto my butt. I put my hand up shakily in defense as I sat there.

'What the hell? Wh-what is that thing and where am I?'

"Am- am I dead? I'm in hell, aren't I?" The voice chuckled deeply.

"No, but you'll wish you were when i I'm /i done with you, if you were to die!" it replied. "We share a body, so if i you /i die, I go with you, and I guarantee that you do i not /i want that!" My eyes widened as I broke out in a cold sweat.

"Sh-share a... then... a-are you my conscience or something?"

"How i dare /i you compare me to such things, insolent brat!" it roared, sending a powerful gust of wind at me. I put my hands up defensively as the blast blew my hair. Squinting I could see that the eyes were now blood shot and a pair of sharp, drooling fangs were now visible. I felt my hands tremble.

"Anyways, it seems we both need some help here. Tell you what, mortal, I'll make you a deal." I slowly stood up, lowering my arms.

"I'm listening." The beast laughed.

"As you can seem, I'm a bit stuck in here," it said smiling and pointing a sharp claw up towards a small sealing tag on the bars of the cage. "You see, this little nuisance restricts my power." I glared at it.

"If you want me to set you free, you've got another thing coming to you! I'm not stupid! i No /i way, man!" It laughed again.

"Relax, human, I'm only asking that you make a small tear in it so that I may lend you my power. Grant me this and I will allow you to live. That way, both of us will get our way." I looked up towards the small sticker. On it was a seal which read "Self-sealing," written in blood. Could I really trust this thing?

"I... don't have much choice, do I?" I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my gut, causing me to fall on my knees, cringing in pain. It chuckled.

"No, another choice is that you i could /i stick around and see what happens!" The pain began spreading to my side and through the gut. My stomach especially was bursting with pain as I tightly held myself.

"Okay... so I rip that thing. Then what?"

"My power will temporarily possess you. I will grant you a portion of my power, enough to keep you alive."

"Just a portion?" I asked raising an eye-brow.

"Child, if only you knew who you were talking to, you may show a little more respect!" it growled, causing me to shudder in both fear and anguish. "I am one of the most powerful beings in the universe! You're earthly body will i never /i be able to contain my full strength!" I squinted my eyes and clenched my teeth. The pain was to much. It felt like something had crushed my ribs or something! I removed the hand that held my stomach and gasped. My hand was completely drenched blood.

'I-I... gotta do it... what else can I do?' I slowly began standing up, reaching my stained hand up. In my peripheral vision, I saw the fangs of the monster curl up into a wide smile as I sharpened my pointer finger's nail, turning it into a claw.

"Go on, child," it said smoothly.

'Well, it's all or nothing!' I thought as I slit a tear in the very top of the seal. Immediately, purple energy began seeping out of the cage, leaking onto the floor and filling the air. As I stared at it in front of my eyes, the strange chakra attached to my body as I frighteningly tried to peel it off. I scratched and bit at it, but I couldn't remove it. I heard the voice laugh deeply as it covered my eyes and everything went black once again.


End file.
